By Sam Hardy

09th May 2007

These are the first official pictures of the incredible drop-top supercar which has a top speed of 207mph, and goes on sale later this year. It will rival models such as the Pagani Zonda Roadster and new Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

	Thanks to the car's superb aerodynamics, Mercedes claims that a driver and passenger could hold a comfortable conversation with the roof down at speeds of up to 125mph

As you can see from these photographs, it looks just like the original Vision SLR cabriolet concept, revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1999. And, similarly, the Roadster shuns the current trend for folding metal roofs, as it's fitted with an electrically operated fabric hood instead.

The canvas is lighter than a solid metal top and is more compact, too. This allows the Roadster to have the same sleek shape as the coupé, complete with scissor opening doors and a carbon fibre body.

With reinforced A-pillars and two fixed rollover bars for stiffness and safety, the convertible is likely to weigh slightly more than the hard-top.

Nevertheless, Mercedes claims that performance is unaffected. The coupé's AMG-tuned 626bhp 5.5-litre supercharged V8 powerplant propels the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission, enabling the Roadster to sprint from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and achieve a top speed of 207mph.

Even the roof operation is ultra-quick, with the top lowering in only 10 seconds. The mechanism isn't com­pletely automatic, though - the driver has to release the top manually from the windscreen. Once folded, an aluminium section provides a neat cover.

Thanks to the car's superb aerodynamics, Mercedes claims that a driver and passenger could hold a comfortable conversation with the roof down at speeds of up to 125mph. What's more, as with its hard-top brother, the new Roadster is equipped with a spoiler which rises from the bootlid automatically to aid stability. It gets a diffuser at the rear that enhances down­force at high speeds, too.

As you would expect of a luxurious supercar, the SLR Roadster comes with exotic features such as ceramic brakes, carbon fibre bucket seats clad in top-quality leather, automatic air-conditioning and sat-nav. When it goes on sale in September, the model will cost in the region of £350,000.

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